Area doctors are warning about the increased risk of tick bites with Missourians spending more time outdoors during the summer months.
Dr. Michael Roach, a Family Practice Physician for Boone Health, told Missourinet his clinic has seen a great increase in patients this year, over last year already. He said Lyme Disease is one of the most common people contract and this is what to look out for.
“Joints that are aching. It’s never the same joint. One day they have a fever, the next day they feel fine. Headaches, fatigue. Especially if they have a rash that appears. But if the tick bite itself starts to have a ring around the site that appears like a bullseye, I’d like for them to come in and be seen,” said Roach.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a record high number of Lyme disease cases of about 27 cases per 100,000 were reported in 2023.
A serious and potentially life-threatening allergic condition triggered by a tick bite is becoming prevalent in Missouri. Dr. Roach, said Alpha-gal Syndrome usually takes weeks or months for it to manifest.
“Usually, it’s like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Lyme Disease. It’s going to come from one of the deer ticks more prevalent. But they’re going to start having sensitivities to a lot of red meats. Nausea, weird rashes that come up. Especially if they start eating and have a lot of GI symptoms right after they eat,” he said.
No cure exists. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has ramped up public health outreach and prevention efforts to address Alpha-gal Syndrome by trying to improve health care provider education, especially in high-risk areas like Southern Missouri.
It is not uncommon for Missourians to remove ticks from their children and pets, especially during the summer. Dr. Roach said there is a right way to do it.
“Make sure and crush it or cut it. Make sure the tick is dead. You could submerge it in water or alcohol. That should kill the tick,” he said. “I wouldn’t just take it off and throw it in the trash. A lot of times just by squeezing the tick with a pair of tweezers isn’t enough to kill the tick. If you throw it in the trash or just throw it outside, it’s just going to reproduce and likely to infect somebody else.”
It is also recommended to wear tick spray, long pants, high socks and tight-fitting clothes if you know you are going into place with a lot of trees overhead.
Copyright © 2025 · Missourinet
